One side of a parallelogram is 16 cm and the distance of this side from the opposite side is 4.5 cm. The area of the parallelogram is

Options

A. `36cm^(2)`
B. `72cm^(2)`
C. `18cm^(2)`
D. `54cm^(2)`

Answer

To find the area of the parallelogram, we can use the formula:

**Area of Parallelogram = Base × Height**

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the Base and Height:**
- The base of the parallelogram is given as 16 cm.
- The height (the perpendicular distance from the base to the opposite side) is given as 4.5 cm.

2. **Substitute the Values into the Formula:**
- Area = Base × Height
- Area = 16 cm × 4.5 cm

3. **Perform the Multiplication:**
- To multiply 16 by 4.5, we can first convert 4.5 into a fraction or multiply directly:
- \( 16 × 4.5 = 16 × \frac{45}{10} = \frac{16 × 45}{10} \)

4. **Calculate 16 × 45:**
- \( 16 × 45 = 720 \)

5. **Divide by 10:**
- Now, divide 720 by 10 to account for the decimal:
- \( \frac{720}{10} = 72 \)

6. **State the Final Answer:**
- Therefore, the area of the parallelogram is **72 cm²**.